Belfast residents claim planned airport expansion would make it one of 5 loudest in UK

Date added: February 12, 2016

George Best Belfast City Airport could become one of the UK’s five noisiest if controversial expansion plans to allow the airport to have more than 2 million passengers per year are allowed. Dr Liz Fawcett, of Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW), gave evidence to the Regional Development Committee at Stormont, saying that some 18,000 people could be affected by noise if the expansion goes ahead. She called for an independent regulator to be set up, to strike a better balance between commercial interests and nearby residents’ well-being. They also want robust fines for airlines. Recently the Planning Appeals Committee recommended that the 2 million limit should be lifted – provided that other noise control measures are put in place. More than 50,000 people across Belfast and north Down are affected by undesirably high levels of aircraft noise. That number is higher than at Gatwick or at Stansted. Dr Fawcett said if the airport is allowed its expansion, it could become one of the five noisiest in the UK in terms of population impact. It would also just mean the transfer of passengers and jobs from Belfast International airport. BCAW also wants airport planning agreements to be properly implemented and enforced. The airport continues to press for the greater number of passengers.
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Noise fears over Belfast City Airport

Residents claim planned expansion would make it one of five loudest in UK

By Linda Stewart (Belfast Telegraph)

11.2.2016

A plane takes off at George Best City Airport

George Best Belfast City Airport could become one of the UK’s five noisiest if controversial expansion plans get the go-ahead, a Stormont committee has been warned.

More than 50,000 people across Belfast and north Down are affected by undesirably high levels of aircraft noise, the Regional Development Committee was told.

Residents want an independent aircraft noise regulator for Northern Ireland to be appointed and robust noise fines for airlines.

Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW), an umbrella body of 13 community groups in affected areas, is calling for an airports strategy to be drawn up. It also wants airport planning agreements to be properly implemented and enforced.

In a briefing to MLAs [Members of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland], the group said Belfast City Airport had applied to amend its planning agreement in a way that would enable it to further expand operations and relax current noise controls which have not been properly implemented and enforced.

BCAW urged the Executive to reject the proposals and told the committee the airport’s own figures showed that 51,910 people were already impacted by undesirably high aircraft noise in Belfast and north Down. [An area north east of Belfast.

“Even in 2014, the number affected by City Airport’s operations at the level considered by the UK government to cause serious community annoyance (4,107) was greater than Gatwick Airport (3,550) and Stansted Airport (1,400),” a spokesperson said.

“If the airport’s proposals go ahead and noise levels rise to their permitted maximum, City Airport would become one of the five noisiest in the UK in terms of population impact.

“If the City Airport succeeds in expanding further, it is likely to be at the expense of Belfast International Airport, which would simply mean a transfer of both passengers and jobs from one local airport to the other.

A spokesman for Belfast City Airport said: “There are well-established noise regulations in relation to UK airports, of which Belfast City Airport is fully compliant. These were taken into account at the recent public inquiry into the removal of the airport’s redundant seats for sale restriction, which heard evidence from all parties, including the Department for Regional Development and BCAW.

“Last week’s Planning Appeal Commission report recommended that the removal of the seats for sale restriction should be accompanied by additional noise controls, and the airport will be making representations to the Department of the Environment in the timeframe requested.”

City Airport ‘could be among noisiest in UK’

Residents have raised concerns that George Best Belfast City Airport could be set to become one of the noisiest in the UK.

Belfast City Airport said it is “fully compliant” with the existing noise regulations for UK airports.

Members of the Belfast City Airport Watch campaign group gave evidence at a Stormont committee on Wednesday.

It comes as Environment Minister Mark H Durkan considers an application by the airport to remove the cap on the number of seats it can sell.

Last week a report by the Planning Appeals Committee recommended that the limitation, currently set at two million per year, should be lifted – provided that other noise control measures are put in place.

But Dr Liz Fawcett from Belfast City Airport Watch said some 18,000 people could be affected by noise if the expansion goes ahead.

She called for an independent regulator to be set up, which she said would strike a better balance between commercial interests and nearby residents’ well-being.

“If they were permitted to do that, then you are looking at City Airport becoming one of the five noisiest airports in the UK in terms of population impact,” Ms Fawcett told U105’s Frank Mitchell Phone-In on Thursday.

“It would be right up there, believe it or not, with Birmingham.

“That really does give you some context and that’s why yesterday we went to see the Department of Regional Development Committee.

“We said, whatever the outcome is in terms of what the environment minister wants to do, we don’t believe there’s good enough noise regulation.

“What we want is an independent noise regulator who will make decisions completely independent of any of the airports – about all the airports – in terms of what they should be doing for noise regulation.”

In response to the Belfast City Airport Watch evidence to the committee, a spokesman for Belfast City Airport said: “There are already well established noise regulations in relation to all UK airports, of which Belfast City Airport is fully compliant.

“These were taken into account at the recent public inquiry into the removal of the airport’s redundant ‘seats for sale’ restriction which heard evidence from all parties, including the Department for Regional Development and Belfast City Airport Watch.

“Last week’s Planning Appeal Commission report recommended that the removal of the seats for sale restriction should be accompanied by additional noise controls, and the airport will be making representation to the Department of the Environment in the timeframe requested.”

Belfast City Airport campaigners call for independent airport noise regulator to look after interests of residents

February 10, 2016

Because of its geographical location, the noise created by Belfast City Airport flights affects a large number of people in the city. The local campaign, Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW) is an umbrella group representing more than a dozen local community organisations, and works to limit the noise they suffer. BCAW’s Dr Liz Fawcett told committee members the establishment that the creation of a powerful independent airport noise regulator in Northern Ireland would help strike a better balance between commercial interests and nearby residents’ well-being. It should ensure conformity with existing noise control measures. The airport is currently capped at 2 million passengers per year, but wants to increase this number – which would mean a considerable increase in the noise. BCAW say if the 2 million cap was raised, it could turn the airport into one of the noisiest in the UK. They want an independent noise regulator to deal effectively with public complaints and produce “meaningful” 5-year action plans aimed at minimising aircraft noise. They also want a wider airports strategy for Northern Ireland, considering how routes are shared between the two Belfast airports, to complement Dublin airport, without duplication of routes.